The former boss of the World Anti-Doping Agency, and the AFL's outgoing CEO, have lamented the so-called ‘blackest day in Australian sport’ press conference – an event both men have depicted as a concocted stunt that harmed the unprecedented investigations that ensued.

John Fahey, now retired from WADA, said he’d heard no good justification for the media conference in February, 2013, that announced doping probes would be launched into Australia’s two leading football codes following the release of an Australian Crime Commission report.

At a sports integrity forum attended by more than 250 industry leaders in Melbourne on Tuesday night, Andrew Demetriou, soon to depart the AFL, vented on a similar theme.

Demetriou rued the “very public press conference” he attended in Canberra last year with other national sports bosses.

He criticised the “methodology that was created, or [that] someone devised, to announce it in that fashion was severely damaging”.

Fahey, who at points last year irked Demetriou with some of his public comments about the issue, said that in his time as WADA president he had never seen an anti-doping investigation unfold in such a fashion.

He stressed, however, that judgment of Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority should be reserved given it was placed in such an invidious position.

“In my six years as president of the World Anti-Doping Agency … I’ve never seen any case conducted in a similar manner,” Fahey told the attendees, which included bosses from all sports and other prominent industry figures.

“In most instances the inquiries are done, the interviews are conducted, charges a laid, a hearing takes place and sanctions are imposed and the code says you must respect the privacy of the individual and the athlete and you certainly don’t want them to be labeled as cheats if they’re not, therefore you find out about it when it’s all over.

“In this case we were told from the beginning that there was a problem. We were told that problem involved several codes, we were told it involved not only performance-enhancing drugs, but illegal drugs and a probable connection to the underworld and a possible match fixing. So we had the whole lot displayed out front and then ASADA was told to go about and apply the [WADA] Code which they’re still doing, as I understand it, at this point.

“It did none of us any good in terms of our confidence in sport, to have that situation bubbling away.

“I never saw any justification for that public announcement. As it has gone on since that point in time there’s no evidence that’s come out to me that suggests that was the right decision back then.”

Former WADA president John Fahey. Photo: AFP

Demetriou reflected on how ''I, like other chief executives of major sports, was in Canberra and put before the public” at the February press conference where select findings from the ACC report into sport and corrupt and criminal activity were tabled.

“The world was told there was some very large issue – underworld - infiltrating sport that impugned just about every athlete in this country,” Demetriou said.

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“That was a very unfortunate way to commence that investigation. It damaged lots of very, very good sports, lots of very, very good people.

“I’m not saying the message wasn’t there, I’m not saying the issue wasn’t a real issue, but the methodology that was created, or someone devised, to announce it in that fashion was severely damaging.”

During the two-hour forum Fahey, also the former premier of NSW, said he suspected the ACC media conference called by the federal government of the day was politically motivated.

He said that judgment of ASADA, however, should be reserved given the government-funded national anti-doping body was still concluding its work.

On the matter of the contentious joint investigation ASADA conducted with the AFL, Demetriou said be believed it had actually expedited proceedings.

"We had very good powers and rules under our player rules to compel people to talk and that's why it was a joint investigation.

“And I think the way that the AFL and ASADA co-operated in that got to an outcome where we were able to deal with the issue that related to the club and some individuals,” Demetriou said.

“I don’t know what would have happened if we hadn’t have worked jointly on that. It is quite possible that we would still be going.''